Skein-unwinding device.



T. J. SANDS.

SKEIN UNWINDING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED DBO. 2, 1912.

1,085,360. Patented Jan. 27, 191i 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

T. J. SANDS. SKEIN UNWINDING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 2, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WITNESSES v N\/ NTO I j M (m A TTol NE s Patented Jan. 27, 1914.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. SANDS, 0F PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO UNIVERSALWINDING COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

SKEIN -UNWINDIN G DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2'7, 1914.

Application filed December 2, 1912. Serial No. 784,576.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. SANDS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of RhodeIsland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Skein-Unwinding Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to unwinding devices for controlling the unwindingof yarn or thread from hanks or skeins, in delivering the same towinding or other textile machines.

My improvement consists essentially in providing means influenced by thetension of draft on the yarn and adapted to act directly on ing of thestrands.

The object of my improvement is to accomplish a more sensitive anddirect control of the unwinding or unreeling of the yarn so as toprevent strain or breakage of the individual strands and, furthermore,to faci litate the delivery of the yarn by lessening its tendency tobecome tangled or caught in the skein. By arranging the controllingdevices to act directly on the skein instead of on the swift, reel,runner or other device which supports it, I avoid the effects of themomentum' and inertia of these parts and consequently relieve the yarnof the strain to which it is usually subjected by being obliged tooperate the braking mechanism employed in connection with the rotatingelements.

The invention is fully explained in the following specification,illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sideelevation of my new device showing it applied to a usual form of windingmachine; Fig. 2, a plan view of the upper skein-holder or runner and itssupporting devices, showing the arrangement of the tensioncontroller-arm in connection therewith; Fig. 3, aplan view. of the lowerrunner and its supporting devices; Figs. 4, 5 and 6, enlarged viewsshowing details of construction.

Referring first to Fig. 1, A designates the the skein to regulate theunwindframe of a winding machine of well known construction which ismounted on a bed B supported by uprights or legs C. The machine of thestyle here shown is generally made up of a number of frames or heads Aarranged in series along the bed B and carrying bearings for thewinding-spindles d which project from the sides thereof. Suitablebrackets E also overhang the sides of the frames A and serve as supportsfor the reciprocating thread-guides e which are traversed along thewinding-spindles to deposit the thread or yarn thereon to form the copsor bobbins as illustrated at X. It is to be understood, however, that mynew unwinding device is applicable to winding machines of other typesthan that here shown and is adapted for use with various and sundryappzliratus employed in the manufacture of texti es.

I have preferred to illustrate tion as arranged to be applied to thewinding machine in series, corresponding to the arrangement of theseries ofwinding-spindles,

my invenbut only one complete device is here shown since all of them areusually of the same construction.

For supporting the devices on the machine I employ two parallel,horizontal rods or bars F, F which are preferably square or rectangularin cross-section and arranged to be held in brackets, G, G. The bracketsG, G consist of opposite jaw-members g, o

' adapted to be clamped over the flanges c of the legs C by means of thebolts 9 as shown more particularly in Figs. 2 and 3. The main jaw-memberg is formed with an upwardly extending bearing 9 and a dependingtail-piece 9 adapted to bear against the side of the leg C to take thedownward thrust due to the weight of the parts supported on thebrackets. Extending through the bore of the bearing 9 is a sleeve orbushing H formed with a square or rectangular hole adapted to receivethe rod F or F. The rods F and F are held in the sleeves H by theset-screws h and the sleeves, in turn, are held in the bearings. g byset-screws 71'.

' while providing The screws h are preferably formed with rounded .orpointed ends adapted to engage correspondingly formed circumferentialgrooves k cut in the peripheries of the sleeves H. This arrangementserves to hold the sleeves longitudinally of the bearings g for a firmergrip of the screws to prevent accidental turning of the sleeves. Bylooosening the screws slightly the sleeves can be turned in theirbearings g to adjust the rods F, F about their axes and thereby alterthe position of the arms J, J which are supported on the rods.

The arms J and J reels or runners K and K skein Y is stretched. The.upperarm J is' support the rotatable formed at its inner end with a hub7' having a square or rectangular slot on its under side adapted toreceive the rod F. The arm is thus prevented from turning on the rod,but

I can be slid longitudinally thereof to adjust its position along themachine and a setscrew j serves to secure the arm in its properposition. Midway between 'its extremities, the arm J is formed with adownwardly extending crook or elbow 9' provided with a hub 3' in whichis secured a horizontal rod L by means of the set-screw 1.. Preferably,the rod L extends outward-from both sides of the arm J to providebearings fora pair of runners K, only one of them being shown in thedrawings. These runners. or reels K cooperate with a pair of similarrunners K arranged below on the arm J and together serve to support theskeins which deliver to two adjacent' winding-spindles on the frame A.

Pivoted on the rod L adjacent the end of the hub 1' is a block M, shownin detail in Figs. 4 and 5, which carries the wire cpnt-roller-arm N forcontrolling the unwinding of the skein. The block M is formed with avertically extending slot m, and the wire arm N rests in the bottom ofthis slot. A bowed spring-plate 0, having its body por tion fitted tothe ing ears 0, 0 abutting the ends of the block M to keep it inposition therein, is arranged above the arm N with its extremitiesengaging the latter. Screwed into the top of the block M is a set-screwp. adapted to be set down against the spring-plate O to bind it againstthe arm N and hold the latter in position in the slot m. By releasingthe screw ;0 the arm N can be moved longitudinally in the block M toadjust it in relation to the skein, as afterward more particularlydescribed. The outer end of the arm N is formed with an eye or pigtailnthrough which the yarn y is adapted'to draw as it leads from the skeinY, while its inner end is bent into a fork or loop at adapted to inclosethe strands of the skein on its under .a purpose hereinafter aroundwhich theslot and laterally-projectlatter in the hub to.

the weight of side, as shown in Fig. 1. -.The rear cross-bar of the forkn is of substantially V-shape for explained. Extending through a lug y"*at the outer end of the arm J is a right-angled elbowmember R, adaptedto slide to adjust its upright arm 1' toward or away from the axis ofthe arm N, and secured in position by the set-screw r. A U-shaped clampr is arranged to be adjusted vertically on the arm 1' of the member Rand is held in position by the set-screw 1' A helical spring S issecured at one end to the clamp 7' with its opposite end fastened to aclamp s, the latter beingclamped on the'arm N by means of a screw .9.

The reels or runners K, K may be ofany. usual form, but as here shownconsist of circular end-flanges k, k, with cross-bars or struts V isextending upper runner K is supported rotatively on the rod L, aspreviously explained, with its inner flange abutting the end of theblock M and is held in place by the collar Z secured on the rod by aset-screw P. The lower runner K is mounted to rotate on the right-angledextension t of a wire arm T and is held in position by the collars t, twhich are secured to the rod by set-screws t t. The arm T is supportedat the end of the arm J, which latter is secured to the lower rod F inthe same manner as the upper arm J.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 6, the arm T is held in an adjustablebearing-member U which is pivoted on 'a rod at extending through a hub7' at the end of the arm J and secured in place by the setscrew j.collar j secured by the set-screw 1' serves to retain the bearing-me berU in place on the rod u. The member U is formed with a hub u, see Fig.6, in'which is a split bushing u throughwhich the arm T extends. A set-,screw u in the member U has its end formed with a reduced portion awhich engages a bushing a to hold the.

radial hole u in the The screw 10 is adapted to be set against thebushing a to bind it on the arm T'and by loosening the screw a the arm Tcan be slid in the'member U to adjust the position of the runner K inrelation to the pivot point of the arm.

Adapted to slide onthe rear end of the arm T is a weight V, held inposition by the set-screw 'v and arranged to counterbalance the runnerK. A lug j projects from the side of the armiJ and is adapted to contactwith the arm T to prevent its forward end from tilting downward beyond asubstantially horizontal position.

The complete device operates as follows: The skein Y is stretched.around the crossbars of the two reels or runners K, K, the runner Kbeing swung upward on'its arm between them. The

1,oec,seo a T to facilitate the placing of the skein over jFStflItS torotate the yarn will be taken up the heads or flanges It The arm Tisthen T with a sudden draft and its pull on the arm adjusted in thebearing-member U so that N will cause the latter to be rocked to entheskein will be kept taut by the weight of tirely remove the fork n fromcontact with the runner K while the arm is in a substanthe skein Y andallow the latter to move tially horizontal position. The weight V isfreely. After this first sudden pull, the then set to partlycounterbalance the runtension of the draft will be relieved and the neraccording to the character of the ma.- arm N will be moved by the springS to terial in the skein. For use with very light, carry the fork n"into'engagement with the fine yarns the weight V is set so that it veryskein once more to prevent a too free movenearly balances the weight ofthe runner; ment of the latter on the rotating runners ut f r veryheavy, coarse yarns more ten- K and K. In this way the tension of draftsion is required to stretch and straighten the on the delivering Earnserves to regulate the strands so that the wei ht V i moved pressure ofthe ork n against the skein toward the pivot point et the arm T, nd, andprovides an inductive control which under extreme conditions, can evenbe placed pr en s the yarn from delivering too freely on the same sideof the ivot with th runwhile, at the same time, facilitating its unneritself. To ada t th d vi t diff t winding. The V-shaped construction ofthe lengths of skeins the arm J an b wu g cross-bar of the fork n isdesigned to adapt upward or downward, t gul t th dj it to conform to thenatural contour of the tanc between the runner by i l t outside of theskein Y, as illustrated by the ing the rod F in its bearings in thebrackets d t-and-dash lines in Fig 2, and it has been G; it b'eingunderstood that ther r two demonstrated that the action of this forkisto bracket for supporting th d F, one t gather the skein somewhat-asit is gathered in either end of the machine. This is accom- Q h n whenbeing Stretched and Straightplished by loosening the set-screws h to*enedfi T is to y, e fork s n cllew th le v H t t i th b ti tion whichtends to straighten and allne the 9 a before described, ere extremestrands of the ske1n and to keep them in changes in the relativeposition of the runpcsltwnfio dehvel freely ners are necessary thebrackets G and G ca Or snarling. When the ske1n is allowed to be movedupward and downward on the legs flatten 9 1 r e r ls 0r runners on Thesingle strand of yarn 3/ is d aw which it is supported the coils becomef th t f th k i Y d i d crossed andmisplaced so that the deliverythrough the pigt-ail n at the end of the con- 0f h y 1s hp fl W myimproved tr Her-arm N Th it i i d up Over devlce the yarn is maintainedwith the coils a guid ll w on th d f a eomPenmore nearly in their properparallelism and gator-arm W and led to the inding-spindle thelntermittent gatherin aClSIOII Of the fOIk d after being threadedthrough the threadserves to loosen n r c hem one from guide e. Thecompensator-arm W is can Q so that the y Pulls Off more trolled by aspring w to keep the yarn taut yand is usually arranged to cause theoper It W111 he noted that 111 y h devlce ation of thestopping-mechanism of the mathere are no hmklhg elhmehts aictlhg on thehi h th yarn b k -1 h t d runners to control their rotation and for b tas th d i f no t f th this reason the runners can be made of verypresent invention, they have not be n d light construction so as toavoid the effects scribed in detail. The fork n at the rear of h h h hthis reason end of the controller-arm N reaches under t owlng to thenllght g and incloses the strands of the skein Y and thtloh. the runnerscan he stillhed II1I1Ch i pressed i t th yarn th h th fmore easily andtherefore less strain is put fect of the spring S. Before the machine Pthe y Furthermore, when the is started the elbow-member R is adjusteddraft on t ey n 18 s e t th s opping to give the pro r ten io t th p inS of the winding, there Wlll be less tendency to maintain th rop nt t ofth f k fortthe runners to run ahead owing to m0- with the skein and thispressure is autoent m d 11I 1 1nd l ngth of yarn not mat-ically variedduring the unwinding of required. The yarn is also relieved of the theyarn through the operation of the arm strain whichwould arise fromcausing it to N. The point of connection of th pring operate braklngdevlces for the runners. S can also be adjusted along the arm N My newdevice is adapted foruniversal adto vary the leverage exerted thereon.The Justment for all lengths of skeins and for position of the fork n inrelation to the all sizes and weights of materials. It can skein. isadjusted by swinging the arm J upbe employed to unwind the finest silkwithward or downward, this being effected by out subjecting the materialto undue strain turning the rod in its bearings in the or stress, and isequally well adapted for bracket G. When the winding-spindle firstcoarse or heavy yarns.

without tangling the rounwinding of the strands thereof.

exact arrangement shown,

said arm having one end adapted to bear d1- free length of skein ex-Various modifications might be made in the form and structure of theparts of my device without departing from the spirit or scope of theinvent-ion.

Therefore, without limiting myself to the what I claim 1. In askein-unwinding device, the combination with spaced-apart rotatablesupports for holding a skein stretched between the same, of acontroller-arm adapted to be operated from the tension of draft on thedelivering yarn to apply pressure to the free length of skein extendingbetween the supports to control the unwinding of the strands thereof.

2. In a skein-unwinding device, the combination with spaced-apartrotatable supports for holding a skein stretched between the same, of a:controller-arm pivoted adjacent said supports and arranged to beoperated by the tension of the delivering yarn,

the

rectly against the supports to control the tending between 3. In askein-unwinding device, the combination with spaced-apart rotatablesupports for holding a skein stretched between thesame, of acontroller-arm pivoted adjacent said supports and carrying a guide atone end through which the strand of yarn draws, said arm arranged withits opposite end engaging the free length of the skein extendingbetweerg the supports, and resilient means to swing the arm to applypressure against the strands of the skein.

at. In a skein-unwinding device, the combination with rotatable meansfor supporting the skein, of a. controller-arm pivoted adjacent saidmeans and arranged to be operated by the tension of the delivering yarn,said arm formed with a fork at one end adapted to inclose the strands ofthe skein and to apply pressure thereto in accordance with variations inthe tension ofdraft on the yarn.

5. In a skein-unwinding device, the-combination with a pair of rotatablereels adapted to support a skein extending around them, of an armpivoted adjacent one of said reels and arranged with the yarn leadingthrough a guide at one end, said arm having means atits opposite endadapted to bear on the inside of the skein, and means to swing said armto apply pressure against the skein.

6. Ina skein-unwinding device, the combination with a pair of rotatablereels adapted to support a skein stretched between them, of a pivotedarm arran ed to be operated by the yarn drawing off mm the skein, saidarm having a fork reaching under and inclosing the strands of the skeinextending and a spring between the reels on one side, to swing the armto apply pressure on the skein.

7 In a skein-unwinding device, the combination with rotatable reels forsupporting a skein stretched between them, of a pivoted controller-armconstructed of wire bent at one end to form a pigtail and having itsopposite end bent in a fork adapted to reach underand inclose thestrands of the skein, the cross-bar of said fork being of substantiallyV-shape to adapt it to gather and straighten the strands, and means torock the arm to press the fork into contact with the skein. j

I -8. In a skein-unwinding device, the combination with a rotatablereel, of an arm ivoted on the axis of said reel and arranged to belongitudinally adjusted in relation de at thereto, said arm carrying ayarn-gm the one end and means adapted to engage strands of the skein atits opposite end.

9. In a skein-unwinding device, the combination with a rotatable reel,of means for supporting a controller device-pivoted on the axis of saidreel, and an arm secured to said means to adapt it-to be longitudinallyadjustable therein, said arm carrying a yarnuide at one end and meansadapted to engage the strands of the skein at its 0pposite end. a

10. In a skein-unwinding device, the combination with reels forsupporting the skein, of an arm pivoted on the axis of one of the reels,said arm formed with a yarn-guide at one end and a fork at the oppositeend adapted to engage the strands ofthe skein, a member adjustable inrelation to the axis of the reel, a spring secured at one end to saidmember, and means for securing the opposite end of the spring to the armto adapt it to be adjusted along the latter. 11. In a skein-unwindingdevice, the. combination with brackets G, G of bushings I-I arranged tobe adjusted rotatively in said brackets, horizontal rods F, F mounted insaid bushings, arms J, J secured to said rods, a reel K rotatablymounted on the arm J, an arm N pivoted on the axis of said reel andadapted to engage the strands of the skein, an arm T pivoted at the endthe arm J, a reel K rotatably mounted at one end of the arm T, and acounterweight V adjustable along said arm. 12. In a skein-unwindingdevice,'the combination with two horizontal rods, of means 1 -to supportsaid rods to allow on the axis of said reel and arranged with 1 one endadapted to engage the strands of the skein, a bearing U pivoted on thearm J, an arm T longitudinally adjustable in said bearing and a reel Krotatably mounted on the arm T.

13. In a skein-umvinding device, the combination with an arm J, of amember U pivoted on said arm and formed with a bearing 2;, a splitbushing n in said bearing formed with a radial hole 24 a set-screw in 0the bearing 2/ formed with areduced end 14* engaging the hole 14 an armT adjustable 1n the bushing u and adapted to be clamped therein, and areel K rotatable on the arm T.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

THOMAS J. SANDS.

WVitnesses:

ARTHUR A. ARMINGTON, HERBERT K. ALLARD.

